Marine bioregional plans and implementation issues: Australia's oceans policy process

Australia's Oceans Policy, released in 1998, established a new, national approach for ecosystem-based ocean management that proposed the integration of sectoral and jurisdictional interests. Implementation was to be achieved through innovative institutions delivering ecosystem based management through Regional Marine Plans, now referred to as marine bioregional plans that are legislatively grounded via the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). This paper argues that the original focus of the implementation process has changed, reflecting a lack of jurisdictional integration and an environmental focus that prioritises marine protected area management. It examines where the oceans policy stands today and the policy gap in terms of the lofty aspirations of Australia's Oceans Policy and implementation efforts.     

Marine conservation policy in Seychelles: Current constraints and prospects for improvement

The marine assets of Seychelles are fundamental to the national economy through generating income derived from tourism and fisheries. Marine management institutions and policies have undergone radical changes since 2008, reflecting a number of drivers and initiatives at international and national levels. Through using the example of Curieuse Marine National Park in the inner Seychelles, we demonstrate how these are affecting marine conservation with respect to coastal development, governance of marine protected areas and livelihood security within resource-dependent communities. These issues are of significance with respect to the current and future viability of marine conservation and resource management in Seychelles. Potential mitigating strategies are suggested which could lead to more effective governance and conservation of marine protected areas in Seychelles and similar small island developing states.     

Marine aquarium trade in India: Challenges and opportunities for conservation and policy

The collection of marine taxa for the aquarium trade continues to demand live animals be extracted from reefs, but in doing so, offers economic benefits for local communities. To improve our understanding of the status of marine aquariumtrade in India, information on harvested species and their volume was gathered at the major collection hubs (Tuticorin, Kilakarai and Mandapam) in the Gulf of Mannar region, and compared to the export data. During one year, 87 species of fish (51% belonging to the family Pomacentridae) and 21 species of invertebrates were harvested for the trade. The conservation status of exploited species revealed that nearly 50% (n=43) have not been assessed for their extinction risk by the IUCN, while of the 44 species assessed, 41 were Least Concern (LC), and one each was in the Data Deficient (DD), Near Threatened (NT) and Endangered (EN) categories. While many fish were collected, only a few were exported from India. The sea anemones were the major export as they were of a higher value in the international markets, largely attributed to their color patterns. Price discrepancies within the trade value of marine fishes and invertebrates used for the aquarium trade indicated that price increased approximately 200% at each transition in the value chain (collectors to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers). Management strategies and conservation plans for India's marine ornamental taxa subjected to exploitation are provided so as to ensure long-term sustainability of the coral reef ecosystems, as well as the livelihood that are dependent on them.     

Marine and coastal policy in the UK: Challenges and opportunities in a new era

Marine and coastal policy in the UK has faced a number of significant changes in recent years, most notably the passing of the Marine and Coastal Access Act in 2009. These changes have brought significant challenges and opportunities for all those involved in the management and use of the UK's marine and coastal environment. This new era of marine policy inspired the UK's first Marine and Coastal Policy forum held in June 2011. In this introductory paper the global context of marine policy changes and the themes which emerged from the forum, forming the basis of the articles in this special issue, are outlined. It is concluded that there is a high level of engagement, capacity and willingness of key stakeholders to work collaboratively to address the environmental, social and economic complexities of managing the marine and coastal environment. It is both evident and encouraging that progress is being made and the many challenges faced in this new era give rise to a number of opportunities to develop new ideas and effective mechanisms for finding solutions.     

Near-term priorities for the science, policy and practice of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP)

There is currently a rare opportunity to inform emerging efforts to implement coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) in the United States, Europe and elsewhere around the world. In particular, the newly formed US National Ocean Council is developing a strategic action plan for CMSP over the next 18-24 months. In order to identify priority needs for significantly advancing CMSP, a group of experts in the science, policy and practice of CMSP developed recommendations for (1) process development, (2) communication and engagement efforts, (3) tradeoff and valuation analyses, and (4) decision support. Some of these priorities are supported by existing activities in the United States and elsewhere. Others have yet to be addressed and merit immediate attention.     

The Marine Planning Framework for South Australia: A new ecosystem-based zoning policy for marine management

The Marine Planning Framework for South Australia is a new large-scale, ecosystem-based zoning policy for management of development and use in the marine environment. Utilising the Geographic Information System (GIS), the model establishes four ecologically rated zones, derived from known ecological criteria. A series of goals, objectives and strategies represent the desired outcomes for each of the ecologically rated zones. A Performance Assessment System (PAS) will subsequently evaluate the success of the marine plans. Implementation will be supported by a collaborative whole-of-government approach. Marine plans will facilitate the delivery of long-term protection to the marine environment as a whole ecosystem, whilst enabling a broad range of activities to occur in a sustainable manner.     

海洋竞争情报与国家海洋信息战略

通过“围海筑堤，使渤海为淡水湖”的话题引入了竞争情报，并介绍了竞争情报的定义、主要功能、特征及竞争情报研究的发展。在此基础上，结合国家海洋战略，进行了国家海洋信息战略及其构成要素的思考。从海洋竞争情报的属性出发，初步论述了海洋竞争情报对制定国家海洋信息战略的影响和相互间的主要关系，并认为研究制定国家海洋信息发展战略势在必行。研究海洋竞争情报系统、发展海洋竞争情报工作，并成为国家海洋信息战略框架中的一个重要组件，是国家海洋信息公益服务所面临的创新性课题。     

Implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: A policy perspective on regulatory,institutional and stakeholder impediments to effective implementation

The implementation of the European Union (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires EU Member States to draft a program of measures to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES). Central argument of this paper, based on an analysis of the unique, holistic character of the MSFD, is that social and political factors are having a major influence on this MSFD implementation process. More specifically, four potential impediments have been identified that are curtailing the drive towards the effective implementation of the scheme advanced by the Directive. First, scientific uncertainty about aggregated ecological pressure and drivers in relation to the different sectors clouds the definition of national programmes of measures and this in turn may lead to implementation-drift in achieving GES. Second, the scale of the ecosystem is different from the political and socio-economic scales of individual, sectoral decision-making and activities. Third, policy coordination is required on several levels, i.e. at the EU level, within the Regional Sea Conventions, at national level and between these three levels. Finally, the coming together of both stakeholder involvement organized for the MSFD and those of existing, sectoral policy domains makes fair and efficient stakeholder involvement challenging. This paper concludes that more attention should be rendered to establishing appropriate coordination and communication structures, which facilitate greater engagement with the different Directorates-General in the European Commission, the European Council and the Parliament, the Member States, sectoral decision making institutions as well as stakeholder interest groups.     

Purpose,policy, and practice: Intent and reality for on-ground management and outcomes of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Notwithstanding a complex array of international, national, and local policies designed to protect biodiversity and manage human activities, the condition of Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been deteriorating. This trend indicates that policy settings are inadequate or the right policies have been prescribed but not effectively implemented. This study aimed to determine which policies influenced on-ground management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and Marine Park, how they were implemented, and the challenges encountered by practitioners in applying policies. The research required content analysis of policy instruments relevant to various jurisdictional levels, and surveys and interviews with 19 key informants across jurisdictions and agencies. This study found that policy intent is not automatically translated into practice: international agreements are interpreted and reinterpreted along the policy pathway to on-ground management and, consequently, the aspirations of these agreements can be frustrated and their effectiveness diluted. Due to limits of jurisdictional responsibility, practitioners within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority are constrained in influencing key factors that impact on their capacity to address threats and manage outcomes. The major policy gap affecting management outcomes was the absence of a mechanism with which to manage cumulative impacts responsible for deterioration of key ecosystem processes and biodiversity. These findings highlight that effective policy implementation is a challenging task, limited by gaps between intentions and outcomes, inconsistencies, and conflicting agendas. An improved understanding of the policy implementation process and the policy-practitioner relationship is essential to enhancing links between policy and on-ground management.     

加强海洋管理 谱写蓝色辉煌

我国是一个海洋大国,拥有18000多千米的大陆海岸线,6500多个岛屿,约300万平方千米的主张管辖海域。管好和用好这片蓝色国土是广大人民群众的殷切期盼,是全面建设小康社会的必然要求,是实现中华民族伟大复兴的重大战略任务。新中国成立60年来,特别是改革开放以来,我国的海洋事业不断适应国家经济社会发展需要,逐步发展壮大。海洋管理思路由侧重海洋科研调查向综合协调海洋事务跨越;     

东部海洋经济圈的海洋科技发展水平和海洋经济

为科学合理评价区域海洋科技发展水平,进一步促进区域海洋经济增长,文章以东部海洋经济圈为例,采用主成分分析方法构建海洋科技发展水平综合指标,采用多元线性回归模型分析海洋科技发展等因素与海洋经济增长之间的关系,并提出建议。研究结果表明:海洋科技发展水平综合指标包括海洋科技支撑、海洋科技成果转化和海洋科技投入3个主要素及其11个指标,2006—2015年东部海洋经济圈各地海洋科技发展水平整体处于上升趋势,且差距较小;除政府支持力度外,海洋科技发展水平、海洋第三产业发展水平和工业污染程度等变量均与海洋生产总值存在显著相关关系,其中海洋科技发展水平为正相关;未来应促进海洋科技成果转化、减少区域壁垒制约以及加强海洋生态环境保护和治理。     

发展海洋教育和海洋科技 推进浙江海洋经济建设

推进海洋经济建设是实现浙江社会经济可持续发展的迫切需要,是顺应世界经济发展趋势的必然选择.海洋经济建设必须依托并大力发展海洋教育和海洋科技.     

Dialectics of nature: The emergence of policy on the management of commercial fisheries in english European Marine Sites

European Marine Sites (EMS), designated under either the Habitats or Birds Directives, protect the biodiversity of the European Union (EU) and contribute to the implementation of the 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity [1]. The introduction of this form of marine protected area (MPA), as a consequence of EU conservation directives, introduced new legal obligations in waters long exploited by inshore fishing communities. Although the Habitats and Birds Directive have been in place since 1992 and 1979 respectively (the 1979 Directive updated in 2009), it has not been until more recently (2014) that ongoing inshore fisheries activities in England, which predate designation of sites, have been systematically assessed and managed, for their impact in protected sites. In practice it was assumed by many MPA practitioners that at the time of designation of EMS, ongoing activities would be compatible with the conservation objectives of these sites. This paper illustrates the introduction of a general and systematic “revised approach” to managing fisheries in all English EMSs, and how this represented a change in government policy which can be traced directly to a legal campaign between 2008 and 2012 by two UK environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (eNGOs). The paper elucidates this iterative marine policy process analysing the dialogue between government bodies and eNGOs and show how the resulting interpretation of conservation law, has sought to resolve the tensions between the precautionary approach as emphasised by the eNGOs and the Government's desire for proportionality of response.     

海洋灾害与海洋经济影响关系研究进展

文章在系统梳理海洋灾害研究进展的基础上,综述海洋灾害与海洋经济影响关系研究现状,并分析今后研究方向。现有研究大多将海洋灾害或海洋经济进行独立探讨,基础理论支撑与定量化研究都很不完善;结合灾害经济学的研究,以海洋作为研究对象,研究海洋灾害经济问题意义重大;研究角度可侧重于海洋灾害与海洋宏观经济(包括短期经济和长期经济)、海洋灾害与海洋微观经济以及构建海洋灾害经济数理模型等,具体研究内容可从海洋灾害与海洋经济相互关系的计量检验、海洋灾害对海洋经济系统影响的实证检验、海洋灾害经济的影响模型等方面展开。     

日本海洋卫星技术、海洋仪器新进展

由于海洋卫星技术在海洋科学研究、海洋资源开发、减灾防灾以及国防军事方面的广泛应用,它越来越受到世界各国的巨大关注。1980年至2002年美国、欧盟、法国、日本和中国等国家,相继发射与海洋有关的卫星达16颗。其中,日本的海洋卫星技术发展取得了世界瞩目的成就。本文还介绍了日本近年来开发研制的几种海洋观测仪器、它们的技术性能及用途。     

海洋科技与海洋经济的协调发展关系研究

通过构建海洋科学技术与海洋经济可持续发展的评价指标体系,运用主成分分析方法分别对海洋科学技术与海洋经济可持续发展的综合水平进行了测度与评价;根据测度与评价结果,建立了海洋科学技术对海洋经济可持续发展贡献度的计量经济学模型,并构建了海洋科学技术和海洋经济可持续发展的协调关系模型.实证研究结果表明,海洋科学技术与海洋经济可持续发展的内在关联性及其互动关系研究,为沿海地区制定海洋科技与海洋经济发展规划提供了科学的理论依据.     

Venue shifts and policy change in EU fisheries policy

Over the past two decades profound changes have taken place in the European Union's (EU) fisheries policy. Partly these changes have occurred within the EU's Common Fisheries Policy itself, but partly policy change has been effected by the application of environmental legislation and policy instruments to fisheries issues. This article argues that the process of policy change in EU fisheries policy can best be understood in terms of the interaction of policy images and policy venues that is at the core of the punctuated equilibrium theory of policy-making. As a result of the rise of a biodiversity perspective on fisheries issues, environmental policy-makers have become active in fisheries issues, which has led to profound changes in both the content of fisheries policies and the institutional organisation around this issue area.     

海洋污染与监测

介绍了海洋环境污染的特点及其污染的种类，并对国内外海洋污染监测的现状及应用技术进行了综述。对于加强我国近海岸环境保护意识，提高海洋环境污染监测自动化水平有所裨益。